Never Knew I Needed
by StormPhoenix3205
Summary: From the author of There's a Vampire in My Basement. What if instead of turning off Elena's emotions, Damon didn't release her from the sire bond? What if Bonnie got tired of saving everyone? Starts at the end of season 4, my version of things. Lots of hilarity, angst, & sexual tension! Rated M for graphic language, a few lemons (sex), & violence sprinkled throughout.
1. Chapter 1

_**(Disclaimer: I did not write nor do I own any part of The Vampire Diaries books or TV show. I wish, but no. All subsequent text is my own unless otherwise stated.)**_

**PROLOGUE**

_Dear Rick, _

_When Stefan told me to help Elena I knew right then I could never release her from the sire bond._

_Okay, well maybe not _never _never. After almost 150 years, I've learned that never can be a super long time. Also, never say never. You'd be surprised at all the things you end up doing you didn't think you ever would...Like this sire bond, for example. I didn't mean for it to happen (I swear) but it did. No one was more surprised than me. I mean, come on, the girl I'd fallen in love with- the kindest, most genuine, most beautiful girl in the entire world- had actually fallen in love with me, too. The girl who used to be with my brother. With good, predictable, perfect, _Saint _Stefan. But no, she chose me._

_And then I found out that was all bullshit. She only thinks she's in love with me because she's sired to me and has to do whatever makes me happy. Of course, she claims her feelings are real, that it's her heart and not the bond that makes her love me. Sure. But I know the truth; someone like her would never love someone like me. I'm too far out of my league. Of course the _only _way I'd ever get Elena Gilbert would be through magic. _

_I can't believe I'm taking the advice of a Bennett witch but here I am...Our loveable Bon-Bon suggested I try writing down my feelings instead of keeping them inside. I don't know what she's talking about. My feelings are best kept in a fine bottle of bourbon, not on sheets of paper that I leave outside your crypt like some kind of necro-stalker. I'm no Stefan with the journal-keeping, but letters seem less whiny somehow. I don't know what to do. There's no one else who would know how I'm supposed to handle Elena now. Because I've still got her, Rick. And all because of that long, horrible night..._

...

She was crying and screaming and running around blabbering, saying everyone was dead, that everyone she loved would never be in that house again, that there was no point in going on anymore. It hurt so much to see her like that and I tried to stop her, but none of us could stop her. Elena wasn't listening. She started pouring kerosene all over everything and threatened to burn the house down, claiming we needed a cover story for Jeremy's death- but I think she just couldn't stand to be around that much sorrow anymore. I think she was trying to start over.

For a few seconds, none of us could do anything but sort of watch in horror. Then Stefan looked at me expectantly.

"Damon, help her."

I'll remember those three words for the rest of my life.

I knelt down next to her and smoothed her hair away from her tear-streaked face. "Elena…" I tried. I spoke gently even though I could barely hear myself over her sobs. "Elena."

"He's gone, Damon. Everyone's gone." Elena wailed. She clutched my shirt and kept talking and crying, although I couldn't even understand what she said through the inhuman noises she was making. I almost pulled away from her then; I had never seen her so helpless. But Stefan nodded at me, while Caroline looked on anxiously from behind the couch. I steeled myself and wrapped my arms around Elena. I could fix this. She needed me to fix this. First things first, I thought, holding her at arms' length.

"Elena," I said slowly, louder this time. "Do _not_ burn the house down. I would be very _unhappy_ if you burned your house down. Do you understand?" Elena nodded through her tears, and threw down the box of matches in one frustrated movement.

"Oh, thank God," I heard Blondie mutter under her breath behind me.

"B-but...but...what about Jeremy?" Elena sputtered. "What'll we tell people? What about his body? I'm so tired of seeing bodies, Damon!" I felt her start to tense up and shake.

"Shhhhhh," I cut in. "We'll figure something out. It's gonna be okay. I promise you, everything's gonna be okay. Do you believe me?"

"Yes," Elena choked out.

"But you can't freak out, okay? No more scaring us, Girl on Fire. You can cry, but stop freaking out. I _want_ you to stop freaking out."

Elena sniffled, and gradually I felt her body relax. After a few moments her sobs grew quieter and quieter until she was just sitting with tears rolling down her cheeks, whimpering every now and then. She leaned into me and I pulled her into my lap, right there on the floor.

"My brother's dead, Damon."

None of us said anything for a long time, waiting to see if she'd go nuts again. But after what felt like an hour with nothing happening, I answered her since no one else did. "Yeah, Elena. Yeah, he is." I rested my chin on top of her head and closed my eyes with a sigh of relief. It had worked.

"It hurts so much...He was all I had left."

"I know," I kissed her hair over and over and let her cry. Time passed, I'm not sure how much. All I knew was that the woman I loved would've completely fallen apart if I hadn't stepped in, and there was no way I was gonna let that happen. Ever.

Blondie tiptoed over to us cautiously. "Ummmm, I'm gonna call my mom so she can...help us with this," she jerked her head towards Jeremy's corpse on the couch.

"And while Caroline does that I'll call Dr. Fell, I guess," Stefan volunteered. I nodded at both of them while still rocking Elena back and forth. Between the sheriff and the doctor, we'd cover our tracks with the police and the cause of death. No evidence of what really happened. Except the fragile bundle of sadness sitting in my lap.

I carried her upstairs to her room and there we stayed until Elena literally cried herself to sleep. I changed her out of her kerosene soaked clothes into the first PJs I could find, then laid her down tenderly on the bed. I kissed her forehead and tucked a blanket around her. "Goodnight, Elena. Sleep well," I whispered.

When I came downstairs, Caroline and Stef were cleaning up.

"We good?" I asked no one in particular. Blondie spoke first, all business.

"Uh, yeah. Dr. Fell officially states that Jeremy died from a fall down the stairs when he tripped over a tin of kerosene, which explains the smell. Mom made sure the police report doesn't have any incidence of foul play and Dr. Fell says Jeremy's body will be, um, ready for viewing by tomorrow afternoon so..." she trailed off, her eyes tilting upwards.

"Yeah," Stefan interrupted. "What exactly are you planning to do now? Because I distinctly remember telling you to release her from the sire bond days ago and yet, here we all are with Elena still bonded to you, so..."

I scoffed. "Gee, how about 'Thank you, Damon, for making sure Elena didn't go all pyro on our asses. Thank goodness the sire bond worked.'?"

"Thank goodness she has to do your bidding, you mean!" Caroline snapped.

I looked at her in disbelief. "Listen, Vampire Barbie, it's not like I did this on purpose. I'm not gonna force her into anything but don't you think this could come in handy sometimes? Like- I don't know- now?" Caroline instantly opened her mouth to retort but Stefan interrupted her, sighing.

"Caroline's right, Damon." He folded his arms. "But I'll ask you again: now what?"

"What's your problem?" I stared back and forth between the two of them. "You know no one in this room was more disappointed than I was when we found out Elena was sired to me…" I hesitated. "Because it means her feelings for me aren't real- "

"Let's hope not," Barbie muttered.

"Caroline…" Stefan admonished.

"Ughhh!" Tall, Blonde, and Leggy exclaimed, exhaling loudly. I narrowed my eyes at her and continued.

"But I can't release her- not yet, anyway. I just...can't," I finished helplessly. The other two started sputtering and I sped on. "But look, I _can_ at least use it for good and not evil to help keep her crazy in check."

"The only problem with that is you don't know what good is!" Caroline practically shouted at me, sending the trash bag in her hands flying.

"Wait a sec- are you guys suggesting that I would take _advantage_ of the sire bond?"

"Well…" Stefan shoved his hands into his pockets. "Okay, yeah. Kind of." He met my eyes then, daring me to deny it.

I zoomed in front of him. Inches away from his face, I said carefully, "I would never use the bond like that, to make her love me. I know it may seem like I'm just a selfish monster here, but that's not entirely true. Speaking of monsters...let's not delve into your ripper days, shall we?"

Stefan stepped toward me. "Listen, Damon- "

In a flash, Caroline was in between the two of us pushing us apart. "Okay, we get it, we get it. You both love Elena and don't want to see her forced to do anything she doesn't want to. That's what we all want here. And, actually, I sort of...agree with Damon, Stefan."

"Finally." I said.

"Seriously?" Stefan asked.

"Well, yeah," Barbie said slowly. "Now might not be the best time...I think we should at least wait until things have calmed down with Jeremy before we risk Elena's sanity. But Damon, here's the thing: it's not like she's a mindless robot waiting for an order. She's still herself, only...she's, like, brainwashed into doing whatever you say, like everything you say is a good idea."

"Maybe everything I say _is_ a good idea. Did you ever think of that?" I smirked.

Stefan sighed again, drowning out whatever She-Stefan was about to say, like a father annoyed with his preschooler. "She has a point. Fine, you keep the sire bond- for _now_\- and let's say we trust you completely (which we don't); what if you say something you don't even mean one day? She'll do _anything_ you tell her to. You could say 'Walk in the sunlight without your magic ring, Elena.' and she'd do it."

"I'd never say that."

"Obviously, but- " Stefan retorted quickly but Caroline cut him off.

"You could say 'I really wish Stefan were dead. I want him staked and gone.'" Caroline spoke quietly. "You could totally say something like that offhand and she'd go and do it, Damon. Because it would please you. Because _you_ want it."

We all were quiet for a few moments. Then Caroline broke the silence, continuing.

"You're going to have to be very, _very_ careful about what you say from now on, Damon."

* * *

_*Stefan's line about helping Elena is a direct quote from the series, not my own._

_**Author's Note:**_ So what did everyone think? Please please leave me reviews! This is my very first Vampire Diaries fanfic and it helps me out so much to know how I'm doing! What do you think will happen now?


	2. (Ch 1) Dreams and Reality

It was the Sunday morning after graduation and most of Mystic Falls was still abed. Most of its former high school seniors were still sleeping off their hangovers. But Bonnie Bennett was wide awake at 6am. If evil never slept, why should she? Yesterday had been miraculous, to say the least. Considering how much supernatural drama she and her friends encountered, it was incredible they were even still in school, let alone had graduated. She smiled to herself then turned her attention back to the candle she was trying to light. A witch with no powers was no witch at all, she thought glumly. But what could she do now? With Shane dead, she had no one to guide her through Expression, even if she chose to do..._u__northodox_ magic. But if she had no magic at all, that just left everyone more vulnerable to whatever evil was out there. For about the millionth time this year, she wished her grandmother were still alive. She squinted at the candle and concentrated, whispering the magic words over and over.

The wick remained unchanged.

"Oh, Grams," Bonnie sighed. "I wish you were here. Please, please tell me what to do. How can I get my magic back?"

"Baby, if you want your magic back, all you have to do is look inside your heart."

Bonnie's head shot up to see her grandmother standing before her, wearing a bemused expression. "Grams! What how ?" She scrambled to get up.

"That's not important now," Sheila Bennett said. "What matters is that you believe in yourself. That's how you get your magic back. You were born with the ability to do magic but the skill will only manifest if the ancestors give their blessing."

"What? But...how am I supposed to do that?" Bonnie's face fell. "I thought I was pretty much out of their good graces after trying to bring Jeremy back to life- twice."

Her grandmother smiled. "Of course, but you're young; you were desperate. Everything can be forgiven if you prove you've learned your lesson for trying to off-set the balance of nature. Have you?"

"Well…" Bonnie started sheepishly.

"I think that's what you should be thinking about, and spend a little less time with candles," Grams replied sternly.

Bonnie sighed. "Yes, ma'am." She wrung her hands together. "I just- I just couldn't imagine life without him. I thought if I could just lift the veil and bring him back..."

"Oh, Bonnie, I know. I felt the same way when your grandfather died. But it's not for us to say who lives and who dies. There's a reason you don't see witches just killing and reviving people right and left, you know. And if you ask me, you need to let this boy go and move on with your life. You've stuck your neck out for the Gilberts one too many times already. Didn't you ever wonder what made your mother leave Mystic Falls? Wonder what could be so great and terrifying that she would leave her husband and infant daughter and never look back?"

"But Abby told me…"

"You must stop meddling with death, Bonnie. You must give up Expression, and come back to the rules of normal magic. Please." Sheila looked worried now, her eyes darting around frantically. "Before you lose your magic completely- or worse."

"Or worse? Grams, what do you mean? What could be worse than not bringing back Jeremy? Not just for me but also Elena. He's all she has. Had." The younger Bennett shook her head.

"There are consequences, Bonnie. Just promise me that you'll come back to earth-based witchcraft. Not this. Promise me…"

"Grams, I- "

Bzzzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzzzt.

Bonnie opened her eyes and recognized the familiar sound of her phone vibrating. She sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily. Had it all been just a dream? Or was Grams trying to reach out from the other side?

She picked up her phone call, noting that it was only 7:32AM. "What's wrong?" Bonnie asked breathlessly.

"Bonnie, it's Tyler," Caroline Forbes' voice cracked. "He's gone."

"What? Care, I'm so sorry."

"He said he's tired of playing by Klaus' rules, whether he's sired or not," Caroline sniffled. "And he said he doesn't want to go to college with us this fall, either. He said he wants to go out and be some kind of werewolf whisperer to help other people with the gene adjust. I mean, can you believe that?" Caroline shrieked. "He's just throwing everything away!"

Throwing you away, you mean. Poor Caroline, Bonnie thought. Although given the year he'd had, she thought Tyler's plans made a lot of sense, but Bonnie knew better than to say so to Caroline. "And after all you both went through together…" she murmured thoughtfully.

"Exactly!" Caroline started to cry in earnest now.

"Aw, Care, don't cry…" Bonnie said gently. "Do you need anything? Want me to get you some ice cream and and we can eat it until you forget who Tyler Lockwood even is?

Caroline managed a wry chuckle. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. Can you come meet me at the Salvatore house? It's really the last place I wanna be but Elena needs adult supervision now so she doesn't fall under Damon's spell."

"She's still sired? I thought he was gonna un-do that." Bonnie slipped on her bathrobe and put the phone on speaker.

"He can't," the other girl retorted sarcastically. "He doesn't have the guts, since he's afraid she'll go right back to Stefan once the bond is broken. Which I hope is what happens..."

"So do I but you know what? We've never really considered the possibility that her feelings might be real."

"Oh, Bonnie, you know I can't stand bad jokes before noon." A smile crept over Bonnie's lips as she listened to her friend sigh. "Just come as soon as you can, okay? I'll see you later."

Bonnie stuck her arm behind the bed, feeling around for her phone's power cord. "Sure, just let me shower and I'll be right over." The two girls said goodbye as Bonnie found the right cord then walked down the hallway to her bathroom.

Her grandmother's words from earlier all but forgotten, she didn't even notice the lit candle on the floor. The flame was burning still and strong, not wavering in the least despite the ceiling fan wafting air throughout the room.

...

Damon Salvatore had the urge to sneeze and couldn't shake it. He turned over in his sleep, lazily brushing a hand across his nose. But he couldn't shake the feeling of an annoying tickle still there. "Damon…" he heard a voice say from somewhere far away. "Damon…" Great, now he was hearing voices? Maybe he did drink too much. This voice sounded familiar though. It sounded almost like…

"Elena," Damon deduced, his eyes still closed.

"Yeeeees?" She giggled. He felt his nose tickle again and realized it was her hair; he knew that smell. Coconut and hibiscus...

"It's so early," he whined, turning away. "Go back to sleep."

"No, it's not." Elena said in a sing-song voice. Damon heard rustling and decided to open his eyes at least. He looked up to see Elena climbing on top of him.

"Whoa whoa whoa, what's going on here? Why aren't you in your own bed?" He asked, very much awake now.

"I want to play," Elena said, pouting.

"Well, we can't," Damon said, sitting up now and tucking her long brown hair behind her ear. "You know that." But Elena stayed where she was, straddling him.

"It doesn't make a difference, Damon. I know you think I only feel how I feel because of the sire bond, but that's not it. I promise." She leaned in to kiss him, reaching for his shirt.

Damon swiftly reached out a hand to cover her mouth, using the other hand to stop her from stripping him. "I know you say that but the only way we know for sure is if we break the bond. I promised I wouldn't take advantage of your warm and fuzzy feelings for me until we figure out a way to break the bond without swiping your heart completely. And...I'm not about to do that just yet so…" He raised his eyebrows, making his eyes seem even a brighter blue. "Be on your best behavior, young lady."

Elena sighed and swatted his hands away. "Ugh! Okay, fine." She lifted her leg then deftly turned around, coming to sit next to him but on top of the covers.

There were times when Damon wished the sire bond didn't work so well.

"But what about at the hotel months ago when we were looking for Stefan? Remember that?" Elena was saying. "I kissed you, remember? Totally sire bond-less." She nudged his shoulder with her own.

Damon smiled wistfully. "Yeah, yeah you did. But so what?"

"So, everything can't be all magic."

Damon tilted her chin towards him. "You were- " He caught himself just in time. "I mean, in my opinion, you were just confused, Elena. Stefan was going all nutso-killer-y and I was there for you when you needed comforting. But that's all that it was. Uh, to me, I mean. You're free to think it was whatever you want," he added quickly. That was a close one, he thought. He certainly didn't want to be giving her ideas against him. Trying not to use the sire bond had taught him more about semantics than his old governess Miss Avery ever had.

"I don't need to think. Because I know. I know what it was," Elena said softly, reaching up to stroke the back of Damon's hand with her thumb. "It was me falling for you." She leaned in then, and Damon didn't stop her this time. "It wasn't all the bond, Damon; it was you," Elena smiled. "You were always there for me, protecting me, encouraging me, believing in me. You never wanted to change or fix me. You just wanted me. And now I want you. Is that so hard to believe?"

Damon looked into those warm brown eyes of hers and saw nothing but honesty. But was that because she believed it or because the sire bond made her think she believed it? It was the question that constantly plagued him whenever Elena said or did anything these days. _Was it real or was it the bond? Was it real or was it the bond? Was it real or was it the bond? Was it..._

"I don't know anymore," Damon shrugged helplessly.

"Well, I'm telling you, Damon: believe it."

Elena closed the space between them with a kiss. It was just a brush of her lips against his, but when she pulled back he held her at the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss, his finger tracing the outline of her jaw. His other hand rested on her knee, creeping upward by the second; her hands instinctively went into his dark hair. They were both starting to breathe faster and faster, lips colliding and kissing whatever they could find...Damon pulled Elena closer to him by the small of her back, his fingers slipping under the material of her tank top to glide up her back.

"Hey- wait," Elena breathed.

"What'd I do? What's wrong?" Damon asked, his breath ragged. He stopped kissing her neck and gazed at her quizzically.

"You told me to be on my best behavior." Elena gave him a pointed look. "So I should stop being such a willing participant. We should stop." Neither of them moved. "Unless you think otherwise?" She grinned.

"Yeeeeeah…no." Damon admitted, his hand coming down to her hip. "You should stop. _We_ should stop."

"Probably…" Elena agreed.

He gave her one more quick kiss. "Maybe?"

They both felt a _woosh_ of air and then Stefan was leaning against the door-frame, glaring.

"Definitely," he said, a murderous look in his eyes as he watched his former lover and his brother separate.

"Stefan!" Elena exclaimed.

"Elena," Stefan said through gritted teeth. "Damon." He squinted. "And Little Damon."

Elena nervously raked a hand through her hair. "What, um, what are you doing here?"

"Not so little," Damon muttered.

"Caroline's here to see you," Stefan answered Elena, but kept his eyes on his brother.

"I should- I should go..." Elena said. She looked nervously between the two. "I'll, um, see you later, Damon."

Elena zipped out of the room to escape Stefan's angry visage. As soon as he heard water running, Stefan accosted Damon. "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"You two! Damon, you promised you wouldn't take advantage of the sire bond!" Stefan accused.

Damon let out a frustrated noise. "Don't you think I know that? Huh, Stefan?" He leaped out of bed and began to pace. "Don't you think I think of that all the time? Every time I talk to her, hear her, even look at her- I'm reminded that it's all a lie. I'm doing my best to watch what I say and what I do, but it's difficult, okay?"

Stefan said nothing. Damon turned away from him and strode to the window.

"She's in love with me, Stefan," he said quietly. "But I have to act like she's not until we know it's real. I'm not supposed to touch or kiss or make love to the woman I love because her love for me...it doesn't exist." He shook his head at his reflection in the glass. "Well, she thinks it does," He scoffed. "What am I supposed to do with that? What am I supposed to do with her?"

The silence between them hung in the air, neither answering nor not answering his question.

"Well, for starters maybe you should put a lock on your door," Stefan suggested. Damon laughed, finally looking at him.

"True. You know this is the third time this week she's snuck in here?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, but it never, uh...got this out of hand before. Usually she just crawls in the bed and sleeps with me. It's funny: everyone's all worried about me taking advantage of the bond when they should kinda be more worried about her." Damon nodded in the direction of the bathroom. "Little Miss Let's Jump Damon in there is- "

"I don't need to know," Stefan said quietly. "Just...keep her in control, okay? I get why you can't release her from the bond; you couldn't stand having her then then losing her and having to be the one to make that call. I get it, I really do. But until we find some other way to break it, it's not fair to her to let her…" He waved his hand.

"Take a ride on my disco stick?"

"If you're quoting Lady Gaga then it's time for me to go." Stefan turned to leave.

"Hey, Stef?"

"Yeah, Damon?"

"You ever think...maybe there's a small, teeny tiny chance that Elena might be right?"

* * *

_**A/N: How did you like this chapter? I know there's not much in the way of plot just yet but I promise that's coming soon. Leave me reviews pretty pretty please and let me know what you think!**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Bonnie!" Caroline shrieked, flinging open the door. She grabbed her friend and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too, Care," Bonnie gasped. "But maybe dial the vampire strength down a notch?"

"Oh, right- sorry!" Caroline instantly released Bonnie, who drew a large breath. After she felt she could breathe normally, she looked around. "Where's Elena?"

"Shower," Caroline replied cheerfully. "Is this the ice cream?" She reached for Bonnie's bag. "Let's make sure it doesn't get all melty. C'mon!"

"Somebody knows her way around the Salvatore pad," Bonnie observed.

"Well, you know…" Caroline said offhandedly, dragging Bonnie by the hand at almost breakneck speed. "I've just been here keeping an eye on Elena (she insists on catering to Damon's every wish- so annoying) and in the meantime, Stefan and I have been trying to come up with something else that will break this stupid sire bond since Damon's too much of a coward."

They finally reached the kitchen and Caroline began depositing the contents of Bonnie's sack into the refrigerator/freezer. Bonnie winced as she noticed it was filled with a combination of blood bags and liquor. _But better than eating people_, she supposed.

"Oooh, Cherry Garcia! Nice!" Caroline was inspecting ice cream cartons with gusto.

"I don't think so," Bonnie said quietly.

"What? No Cherry Garcia for you, then. You can have the Chunky Monkey." came Caroline's muffled reply, her face lost within the refrigerator's depths.

"No, Care- " Bonnie hesitated. "I meant I don't think Damon's being a coward."

Caroline could only stare, hands gripping a bottle of chocolate syrup for dear life. "_What?_"

"Okay, well not _just_ a coward," Bonnie amended quickly. "I mean...I don't think it's that simple."

"How can you not?" Caroline demanded.

"I just...I don't know...Damon's been so in love with Elena for the longest time, right? And now she loves him, too- but then it's all fake. Or maybe it is. Maybe it's not. We don't know. But come on, it's crazy to think that he could basically command the person he loves to stop loving him with zero hesitation. I think that'd be really hard for anyone."

"Bonnie, are you kidding me?" Caroline growled, throwing the plastic bottle in the refrigerator and shutting the door loudly. "First of all, Elena is definitely _not_ in love with Damon and to even _suggest_ that she is is plain wrong- and gross. Secondly, it is totally and completely selfish of him to keep her all goo-goo eyed over him, so- "

"I never said it wasn't selfish," Bonnie started. "But- "

"But what?" Caroline exploded. "Where's this all coming from, Bon? What- you and Damon spend one plane ride alone together and suddenly you're BFFs now? You're _defending_ him?"

Bonnie didn't have a chance to reply. Both girls jumped at the sound of a voice coming from the other side of the kitchen.

"Who's Damon's BFF?"

"Elena!" Caroline forced a smile. "No one, no one…" She threw an apprehensive glance in Bonnie's direction and mouthed: _Don't. Say. Anything._

"Hi…" Bonnie said weakly.

"Bonnie!" Elena said excitedly, giving her a big hug. "Hey, how are you? I haven't seen you since…" Her face fell.

"Since Jer's funeral. Yeah…"

"You okay?"

"As okay as can be expected, I guess."

Elena nodded sagely. "Yeah, totally. I get it. I almost couldn't handle it all. But then Damon just sat me down and said I'd be okay and I'd get through it. And I realized, you know what? That's so true! Really good advice."

An awkward, tense silence hung in the air.

"Ummmm…" But Caroline couldn't seem to get beyond that. Finally Bonnie spoke, her voice cracking.

"I'm...I'm, uh, really glad he told you that, Elena. I'm glad that worked for you."

"I'm serious, Bonnie. If you take a sec and really think about it, I'm sure you'd feel much better instead of moping around looking so sad."

"Elena!" Caroline gasped.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, but kept her voice even this time. "Well, _unfortunately..._" Bonnie said acidly, almost spitting out the word. "I'm not sired to Damon, Elena. I can't just do whatever he tells me."

"I don't just do whatever he tells me," Elena protested irritably. "God, I wish everyone would stop saying that! It was a smart suggestion and I followed it. I get that I'm sired to him, but that doesn't mean I can't think for myself."

"When it comes to him, yeah, it kind of does," Bonnie retorted.

"Will you guys please stop fighting?" Caroline was wringing her hands anxiously. "Come on, we were supposed to have fun today…" She trailed off pitifully.

Bonnie felt something inside her snap then, and she started to laugh.

"Bonnie?" Caroline ventured. But to no avail.

It was an empty laugh that answered her. A hollow, flat sound- so unlike Bonnie that no one said anything; Caroline and Elena both looked more and more worried the longer it went on. Bonnie gasped between chuckles.

"It's...kind of...funny...now that I...think about it," she squealed, doubling over. Her friends looked at each other then back at her cautiously.

"What is?" Elena asked tentatively.

"Well, we can't ruin _Caroline's_ day, can we? That would be the real tragedy, wouldn't it? Never mind that my boyfriend died." She stood up suddenly, no longer laughing but glaring. "You asked me to come over so I could commiserate with you about your ex over junk food, like we're normal high schoolers with boy problems. Like Tyler isn't a werewolf. Like we haven't had the year from hell. Like people haven't been _dying_ right and left. Like Elena's whole family maybe. And never mind that my grandmother, mother, and my boyfriend were some of those people. _My_ boyfriend, _my_ relationship, that you guys never seemed to notice, even though I've been there for you through all your relationships no matter how crazy." She threw Elena a withering look. "You know, if it weren't for _your_ boyfriends, none of us would even be here. My Grams would still be alive..." She was whispering now but then her voice grew harsh again. "But she's not. And it's your fault."

"Me?" Elena cried.

"Both of you. All of you!" Bonnie yelled. "I literally put my life at risk for all of you time after time but none of you would do the same for me, I see that now. My boyfriend- _my first love_\- died on that island too, you know. It wasn't just Elena who lost someone that day. But I guess no one ever thinks about that, huh? Do you?"

"Bonnie, stop! Please stop!" Caroline screamed. "This isn't like you!"

"Maybe that's the problem!" Bonnie screamed back at her. "Maybe poor, sweet Bonnie Bennett is tired of being everyone's doormat. Maybe it's time for a new Bonnie."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond but a familiar voice cut her off.

"Stefan, don't we have a rule in this house about no girl fights unless they take place half naked and in my bedroom?" Damon's silky smooth tones interrupted.

"I'm pretty sure _you_ do, but the rest of us like to at least attempt decency…" Stefan murmured. "What's going on?" He stopped short at Caroline's side as Damon walked toward Elena and Bonnie.

Caroline folded her arms tightly across her chest as her eyes followed Damon across the room. "You make me want to hurl."

"Likewise, Blondie," Damon smirked. "But someone wanna tell me why our resident Bennett is looking daggers all around? One of you girls forget to return a sweater?"

Everyone turned to Bonnie, who was still fuming. How dare they? All of them staring at her like she was crazy...when she had put her life on the line for all of them, even Damon, but when could any of them say the same?

"I'm done," Bonnie said simply. "With all of you. Try saving yourselves for a change." She strode out of the kitchen, deliberately heading to the front door. Stefan and Caroline both wore twin furrowed brows, but neither could find words.

"Bonnie, look...I- I'm sorry...I was only trying to help!" Elena called out desperately, but Bonnie didn't even give her a backwards glance as she continued down the hall. In a flash Damon had himself draped in front of the door-frame, his arm blocking the path outside.

"Listen, Witchy. I get that maybe you're feeling a little under-appreciated here..."

"Move, Damon." Bonnie sighed. He leaned down, his face now inches from hers. He was so close he could see the gold flecks in her green eyes.

"But don't forget that everyone here cares about you, Bonnie." Bonnie cocked her head incredulously.

"_All_ of us," Damon continued. "Even if- " He stopped for a moment then went on, eyes locked on hers. "Even if _we_ don't always show it in the best way."

A wan smile pushed its way across Bonnie's lips. "Careful, Damon. If anyone overhears this people might think you have a heart."

"Yeah, well. You and I both know the truth." He smirked again and for a moment they both gazed at each other, unspoken words begging to be said, but each refusing to divulge more. Damon looked away first. "Besides," he shrugged. "You know I promised Emily Bennett I'd keep her kin alive for the rest of my life. And I'm not one to shirk a debt."

It was the wrong thing to say, he realized half a second too late. At the mention of her ancestor's name, Bonnie froze. That's all she was to him? A debt to be paid? A contract? So she was right. No one actually cared about _her_. No one ever had. Not her so-called friends, not her deadbeat mother- even her father only loved her conditionally as long as she suppressed her witchcraft...no, they were all either ignoring her or using her.

"Did you sweet-talk Emily into doing you favors, too?" Bonnie challenged. Damon exhaled heavily and made a _tut-tut_ sound, wagging a finger at her.

"Not quite. Emily was- "

"Oh, so you forced her then? Makes sense. Not like she really had a choice I guess, seeing how she was a _slave_. I wouldn't be surprised if you kept the Bennetts alive just to have a witch on-call for all eternity. Now move." She took a step forward but Damon blocked the doorway with his whole body this time.

"Bonnie, no- that's not how it was at all. If you want, I'll tell you the whole story. The truth." His bright blue eyes peered into hers intently. For a millisecond, Bonnie paused. Then she realized it didn't matter whether he was telling the truth or not. Anything Damon did, it would be for Elena. It would always be. The Petrova doppelgangers had caught him hook, line, and sinker- only a fool couldn't see that. And this witch decided she had played the fool for the last time. She shook her head.

"There is no truth with you, Damon. All you care about is what benefits _you, _and you'll say anything to get it. My Grams was right: I never should've gotten involved in vampire business in the first place." She dodged to the side to slip past him.

"Bon-Bon, don't…" Damon pleaded, reaching for her shoulders. The moment his hands touched her Bonnie felt it. It was a humming surge of energy, a strike of lightening, a giant ball of inertia, like a wave she felt it rise within her and then…

"Don't touch me!" Bonnie shouted. Damon recoiled from her and hit the floor screaming, his hands covered in giant red welts. They hurt like hell but he dared himself to look back up at Bonnie first. The sight before him made him forget all about his hands. There was a fierce gale in the air now, whipping her hair around her face, her normally golden brown skin seemed to be radiating light, her pupils had turned into tiny, cat-like slits...and she was slightly _levitating_.

"Oh, shit." Damon muttered.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry, for the delay in updating! I had work stuff then got sick and well, you know how life gets in the way of fantasy sometimes. What did you think of this chapter? I both loved and hated writing Bonnie's 180 but really, this is the scene we should've gotten on TVD several seasons ago. Leave me a review pretty pretty please! I swear I read each and every one.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Damon took another swig of bourbon and stared into the flames, the chatter a dull buzz surrounding him. He stood while everyone else sat, just so he could have the anxious pleasure of pacing back and forth to the liquor decanter.

"Damon?"

"Mm," he grunted.

"Damon!"

"What?"

"I said 'What did you say to her?'" Caroline glared at him impatiently.

"That's for me to know and you to _never_ find out."

"You- "

"I should go talk to her," Elena shot up next to him.

"No. You shouldn't," Damon corrected, pushing her back down by the shoulder.

"Damon…" Stefan warned. He mouthed "sire bond" urgently behind Elena's back. Damon rolled his eyes and mouthed "I don't care" right back. Caroline's eyes went wide.

"Da-"

"Damon!" Elena interrupted. "She's my best friend!" But she remained sitting.

"Yeah, but are you hers?"

"Wh- what?"

"Are you hers? Damon asked again. "I'm starting to think Bonnie-kins has a point. Do you- do any of us- " he looked around to include Caroline and Stefan as well. "Do we treat _her_ like a best friend? When was the last time we all went out to save _Bonnie_? When was the last time she was doing something other than saving all our asses?"

Stefan opened his mouth but Damon talked over him. "And don't say screwing Little Gilbert, Stef. We all know she's way out his league; she definitely saved _his_ life. Literally. Figuratively. Sexually."

Elena looked as though she couldn't decide between punching Damon in the face or projectile vomiting.

"Actually," Stefan said, looking more uncomfortable by the minute. "I was going to say _you've_ saved Bonnie- more than once. From Klaus. And back on the island."

Elena looked between the two brothers. "Right after you told me you didn't care about her…" she said slowly. "When you said you didn't care if she died, that all that mattered to you was what happened to me."

Damon sipped his bourbon again and rolled his eyes. "So? I tell Stefan I'll kill him at least once a week."

"Once a day," Stefan lamented under his breath.

"Doesn't mean I _actually_ want him dead," Damon continued. "Ever heard of deflecting?" He sank down onto the couch. "I actually think Bonnie's a lot more tolerable than Care-Bear here."

"Yeah, you can be kind of overbearing sometimes, Care." Elena admitted. Damon smirked.

"And they say the sire bond is a _bad_ thing..." He patted Elena's knee affectionately and she smiled at him, blushing. Caroline bristled and looked at Stefan for support.

Stefan put his head in his hands and sighed. "Oh my God…" he murmured.

Caroline stood up and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, if you're such a genius Damon, now what? How do we get Bonnie back?"

...

Bonnie pushed food around her plate aimlessly, her eyes blankly staring at a flower on the tablecloth. Her father paused, staring at her across the table. It had been a week since she'd barged into the house, retreating into her room, not answering her phone, throwing things around, taking out mountains of garbage bags full of only goodness knew what, looking teary-eyed on the rare chance he saw her outside her room...then around day three, she was the opposite. She had turned quiet, placid- calm. He knew enough about teenagers to know that definitely wasn't normal. And it definitely wasn't good.

"Missing Jeremy?" He guessed.

Bonnie jumped. "What? Oh. I...yeah." _This is so much bigger than Jeremy, Dad._ she thought to herself. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, Dad. It's just...it's been a lot."

"You know you can talk to me, honey. If you want." he offered. He placed a hand over hers. "I don't like seeing you so sad."

Bonnie smiled, despite her low mood. Her dad's eyes searched hers with sincere worry. She could cut him a break, she realized. He really did want to help, but he had no idea what she was up against. It occurred to her she was all he had. After her mother left them, he'd dated here and there when Bonnie was young, but never had the inclination to marry again. Bonnie always secretly believed that his wife's abandonment had broken his trust in a way that could never be fixed. He went on a two-week fishing excursion with his brothers every year, taking Bonnie with him to see her cousins- who were about as fun as going to the dentist. But usually, it was just the two of them. He was her only parent and as scared as he was of magic, Bonnie knew it was simply because he was worried about her. Maybe she should take a chance. She squeezed her father's hand.

"Dad, there's a lot going on. I'm not just heartbroken, although there's that also..." she began hesitantly. "It's… it's my fault. Everything's my fault."

"Bonnie, don't blame yourself," her father smiled. "Jeremy's death was an accident. There was nothing you could've done."

"But there _was_, Dad." Bonnie grabbed his hand with both of hers, gripping it tightly. "If only I hadn't…" she hesitated, then took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "If only I hadn't gotten so involved in expression, I feel like none of this would have happened."

"Expression?" The older Bennett's face grew stony and he slowly withdrew his hand. "Evil magic? The magic not even your grandmother would do?"

"I...yes." Bonnie admitted. Her father looked at her for what seemed a long time, trying to decide what to do. Finally he pushed his plate away and folded his hands in front of him.

"What's been going on, Bonnie? Tell me the truth."

So Bonnie did. She told him everything: about the Petrova doppelgangers, about how Grams truly died, about the Mikaelson clan, and what she had really been doing in Nova Scotia, and finally, about Jeremy's death.

"...And now it's like I can't control my magic at all. It's all over the place, whether I say the spells or not. I keep wondering what to do. What Grams would tell me to do- I keep dreaming about Grams, Dad- "

"Enough." Mr. Bennett stood up. "Bonnie...Sheila...Bennett...I told you I did not want that nonsense in this house. It brought your mother nothing but trouble, so much so that she- " He stopped, then swallowed heavily. "So much so that she couldn't...handle it," he finished clumsily. And I don't want that for you. I don't have any magic and when Mom was alive, she could help you keep all this business reigned in but now...Bonnie, I don't know what to do. I don't how to protect you from this. From vampires...from ancestor spirits...from yourself?"

"Myself?" Bonnie retorted, leaping out of her chair. "You think I'm dangerous? I just told you everything- _everything_\- because I need you to help me, be there for me. I don't have have anyone anymore, Dad. Not Grams, not Jer, not my…" her voice cracked. "Not my friends. Please don't tell me I don't have you anymore, either." Tears silently rolled down her cheeks. "Please tell me I still have you, Dad." She went to him, crying in earnest now.

But her father gently stopped her at arms' length before she could hug him.

"That's for you to decide," he said.

"What?"

"Bonnie…" he shook his head. "You're not a little girl anymore; I can't tell you what to do. If I could just command you to give up your magic- so you could have a happy, _normal_ life- I would. But I can't. You're your own person." He stroked her cheek wistfully. "So I'm giving you the choice." Bonnie stiffened at his touch and took a step back.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm going to let you choose: you can turn your back on all of this. You can go away to Whitmore in the fall, make new friends, move away from this godforsaken town, marry a good man who brings you nothing but joy- not this supernatural sorrow. Your magic will eventually fade if you stop trying to harness it. You can leave all of this in the past, Bonnie."

Bonnie stared at him with utter disbelief, the tears still wet on her face. He continued.

"Or you can leave this house," he said firmly. "Because I refuse to watch you ruin your life."

"You're- you're kicking me out?"

"No, baby girl. I'm trying to get you to save yourself before it's too late. Just give it up," he pleaded.

"_I can't just give it up, Dad!_" Bonnie shouted. "Don't you get it yet?" On the table, both glasses shattered to bits, water exploding everywhere. "I have to choose between my family and my magic? My magic is a part of me! You may as well ask me to stop being myself!"

"You made a choice to let magic into your life, honey. You can choose to let it leave, too." Her father looked at her sternly. He wore his "no nonsense" expression. The few times he'd had to punish her as a child, he'd made that face right before; she knew he meant what he said. For a few seconds both of them stood in silence, each wondering if the other would break.

"And if I don't?" Bonnie asked quietly.

"Then I want you and your things gone by this weekend. And don't come back."

Bonnie felt sobs well up in her throat again. "I need some air," she choked out, running past him, tears blurring her line of sight. Behind her, she heard: "Bonnie! I'm doing this for your own good!"

Bonnie grabbed her keys and flung open her front door. But she hesitated. After a few minutes of pacing up and down the front porch, she thunked herself down into an extra wide rocking chair. She was in no state to drive. And furthermore, she had nowhere to go. The one place she thought she'd always be safe was now the place that hurt the most. She irritably wiped away tears. "What am I supposed to do?" she whispered aloud.

"Bonnie?"

She peered into the darkness. "Damon?" The older Salvatore brother slowly became more visible.

"I walked here, spending the whole way thinking of how I could win you over. Me grovelling is one-time thing, so I wanted to make it epic." Once he got closer and caught sight of her face he stopped talking. "What's wrong?" He scanned the house warily, sniffing the air and cocking his head to side so he could hear the whole block. He zoomed at vampire speed, coming to kneel in front of her. "What's the matter?"

"I…I..." Bonnie started, then promptly burst into tears. Without thinking, Damon was suddenly in the chair with her, holding her, talking to her softly. "Shh, shhh," he murmured, rocking them both.

"My dad hates me," Bonnie hiccuped. She clutched Damon's leather jacket as if it could pull her out of the miserable hole she found herself in.

"Nahhh," Damon said, looking down at her with a wry smile. "He hasn't tried to kill you, has he? You haven't seen hatred until your dad thinks you're an abomination sent from hell."

At this, Bonnie sobbed even louder. Damon looked slightly startled and pulled her tighter to him, resting his chin atop her head. "Okay Damon, that was a dumb thing to say," he mumbled. _Why did you say that? She doesn't need to hear that._ he chided himself. Aloud, he said, "So what happened, Baby Bennett?"

Somehow Bonnie found herself telling him everything: about her father's ultimatum, about Jeremy, and about how she felt so lost in her power without a guide.

"That's the only reason I even listened to Shane to begin with," she said dejectedly, leaning her head back against Damon's chest. "It just felt so good to- "

"Have someone be proud of you?"

Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes just glistening now. She frowned sadly. "Yeah."

"Well," Damon said blithely. "Speaking as one disappointment to another, I say fuck it. You're a Bennett witch, powers or not. It's in your blood. And if Daddy Dearest doesn't understand that, then he's not worth it. Don't look back."

"But I have no one else."

"You have me," Damon replied, his fingers lightly brushing across her cheek. "And all your other friends," he added quietly.

Bonnie looked up at him, willing herself to believe it. Then she got up and folded her arms. "I don't have you," she countered and Damon briefly wondered if she meant the singular or plural. "You're only here because you'll need my help for something later. Or worse- " She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did they make you come here? Did you grab the short straw, is that it?

Damon stood up, too. "No" he scoffed. First of all, I'm not a straw-drawing kinda guy. Second of all, I came because I...let's just say you might not get on my nerves as much as I would have you think, 'kay? So tell me- O, Mighty Bonnie, what do I need to do to make you believe I'm not just using you? How can I prove to you that I'm telling you the truth- that's it's not me, it's you." He smiled at his own joke. "Want me to snap Caroline's neck for a few days so you can have the spotlight? I'm getting kinda tired of hearing her whine about Wolf-Boy, too..."

"Release Elena," Bonnie said, stepping close to him.

Damon raised an eyebrow dubiously. "Seriously?"

"Release Elena and I'll believe you can care about someone other than yourself." Bonnie also raised an eyebrow, mirroring his movement. "That's what I want."

Damon sighed heavily and glanced at the silhouetted houses in the distance. Then he looked her squarely in the eye.

"You drive a hard bargain, Bon-Bon…"

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Time to start getting events moving along, now! Do you think Damon will do it? Will he release Elena if that's the only way to get Bonnie back? Leave me a review- it helps me so much :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Stefan?" Caroline knocked again quietly. There was no point in waking the whole house. "Are you there?"

Stefan hastily threw on a robe over his shirtless frame and pajama pants and opened his bedroom door to find a restless Caroline. "What's wrong?"

"Caroline tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and tried her very best keep her eyes on Stefan's face. "I'm just worried about everything. Bonnie hates us now- and I kinda don't blame her- Elena's all "yes master" to Damon, and Damon won't break the sire bond no matter what we say. I've been a horrible friend to everyone! I've been so caught up in Tyler that I didn't see what else was going on. I could've stopped it, I could've done something."

"Care, there was no way you could've seen any of this co- " Stefan began.

"No, it's true, Stefan! I've been so busy thinking about myself that I- I haven't been there for everyone as much as I should have…" Her voice cracked.

"Hey, hey..." Stefan pulled her to him and held her close. "Listen, none of this is your fault. It's no one's fault. It just is, okay? We've been through far worse and gotten through it; we'll get through this, too. We'll find a way."

Against his chest Caroline sniffed and murmured what he thought sounded like a timid "Mm-hmm."

Stefan pulled away and held her face in his hands. "One problem at a time, right?"

Caroline smiled through her tears. "Right."

"Stefan smiled back at her. "Come on in, then. It'll probably be a long night."

...

Elena turned over again, but it was no use. She wasn't feeling sleepy at all. She looked at her bedside clock. _1:30AM_ it read. She sighed and sat straight up, reaching for her phone. She opened her texting app and paused, not sure how to begin.

"No better way to start than with the first step," she said aloud to the empty room. She began to type:

_Bonnie, I'm really really sorry. You were right, you've done so much for me and I forgot to look out for you, my very best friend. Can you ever forgive me? Please, I don't want to lose you…_

Elena looked at the screen for a few seconds and when there was no response, she put the phone down and laid back, staring directly up at the ceiling. She felt terrible. She knew there were no words to express how badly she'd neglected Bonnie; Damon was right- they had all used her as a get-out-of-jail-free card at _least_ twice, but whenever she needed them, where were they? She hadn't meant for any of it to happen, but this year had been such a roller coaster...

"Ughhhhhhh!" Elena exclaimed, muffling her frustrated cries with a pillow. She irritably threw off the covers and tiptoed out of bed and down the hallway. If anyone caught her, she'd never hear the end of it. Finally she reached the door she wanted and gently opened it so it wouldn't creak.

"Damon?" she whispered. But only still silence greeted her inside the room. The curtains covering the window closest to his bed gently billowed out in the soft night breeze. Elena absently walked over and shut the window then leaned against it. It wasn't like Damon to leave things un-done, so wherever he'd gone he must have gone there in a hurry. It's not like he was sneaking out. Unless…

_Unless that's _exactly _what he was doing_, Elena thought. But why? Where could he be going that he would take such care to hide? Even from her. _Especially from me,_ she thought as her face fell. It had been no secret to anyone that Damon had fallen in love with her quite some time ago. But her falling in love with him, well...that had crept up on her quietly without announcement. Without- she admitted guiltily to herself- waiting for her love for Stefan to fade. She climbed into Damon's huge bed, wanting to be surrounded by his presence however she could. She just _knew_ her feelings for him weren't caused by the sire bond. Everyone kept saying they were but only she knew what was in her heart, not them. Besides, like Caroline had told her Tyler said- the sire bond didn't change how you felt about a person, it just tied your happiness to theirs. _I was already falling for Damon before I became a vampire,_ Elena mused. _So what does that mean?_ For the second time that night, Elena stuffed a pillow over her face and screamed in frustration.

There was no way to figure it out for now, she decided. Elena rolled over, punching the pillow beneath her angrily before slamming her head down on it. She scrunched her eyes closed tight until Damon's familiar scent began to calm her and she finally felt herself drifting off to sleep.

...

_Dear Ric, _

_You'd probably laugh if you were here to see what's happened. We've got a Bennett witch gone rogue, Elena supporting my every whim, and Mary Sunshine Forbes as a semi-permanent houseguest. She's talking about re-doing our living room…_

_But Pollyanna is the least of my problems. Bonnie's gone, Ric. Well, not gone exactly- more like temporarily misplaced; she doesn't want anything to do with us. Which I get, because it's not like we've done anything for her lately. I went and had a little heart-to-heart with her and she didn't exactly welcome me with open arms. I've never wished that witches could be compelled more than I have tonight. In a nutshell, she said this'll all be water under the bridge if I do one little thing- release Elena from the sire bond._

_I hate that little witch. She always knows exactly how to get under my skin._

_On the one hand, I know, I know: releasing Elena is the right thing to do, free will, goodness and rainbows, blah blah bladdy blah- yeah. But then on the other, maybe the sire bond is a blessing in disguise. Something was happening between us before she was even a vampire, I know it was. Maybe the sire bond just sped it up…_

_But I can't let Bonnie go, Ric. She's different. She's the only person here who gets my crazy, I guess. My brother's always gonna be Prince Stefan, knight in shining armor saving the day. He'll never understand what it feels like to come up short. And Elena- even Elena kind of walks on eggshells around me, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can tell. It would kill me to disappoint her. But with Bonnie...I mean, Bonnie's no you- the girl seriously needs to learn to hold her liquor- but you know, she's okay to talk to sometimes. She doesn't treat me like a failure when I mess up- she makes me want to stop failing. She's a good friend to me. And you know how great a track record I have with those. _

_Wish you could help me figure out how to avoid completely bombing this. You always were more the brains of the operation while I was the beauty (obviously)._

Damon folded up his letter and placed it underneath a large rock with the others. Then he took a sip from from his pocket flask and sped off into the night.

...

"First things first," Caroline was saying, pulling the blanket up to her knees and counting on her fingers. "We need to get Damon to get rid of that icky sire bond. Elena never would've been such a biotch to Bonnie if she were in her right mind."

"Agreed," Stefan nodded and leaned back against his headboard across from her. "But we already know Damon is not going to let her go. He just won't do it."

"Right," Caroline rolled her eyes. "So we just have to convince him it's a good idea, then Elena will think it's a good idea, then- voilà! It's over!"

"Okay...but how do we do that? He thinks Elena's _feelings_ for him will disappear without the bond. That's not exactly motivation for him to get rid of it. He loves her." Stefan's jaw tightened.

"Well…" Caroline shrugged irritably. "I guess that's number two: what would motivate Damon to break the sire bond? What would he be more afraid of losing than Elena's love?"

Both vampires were silent for a while, lost in thought.

"Wait," Stefan said slowly, leaning forward now. "What if…"

"What if what?"

"Okay, here's an idea: what if Damon _doesn't_ break the sire bond?"

"_What_?" Caroline almost yelled. "Stefan, are you crazy? He- "

"Just hear me out. What if we find another way? What if _we_ find a way to break it? Elena is un-sired, and Damon can find out whether or not what she feels is real without having to tell her it's not."

"Even though we all know it's not real already," Caroline said under her breath. Stefan gave her a withering look and she rushed on, shaking her head. "Okay, but even if we decided to go that route- how? There's no way to break the sire bond without the sire doing it."

"Tyler did," Stefan reminded her. "Tyler managed to break his own sire bond and help other hybrids do it too, remember?"

"Yeah…" Caroline frowned. "But Tyler's long gone now, Bonnie's all "you can't sit with us," Alaric's dead, and Elena's not about to try to break it- she _likes_ being sired. We've looked in every single book and magical resource the last time we got caught up with the sire bond, so what else can we try? What on earth could possibly help us?"

"Not so much a what...more like a "who." Stefan said, a mischievous smile slowly spreading across his lips.

"Who?" Caroline asked, bewildered.

"Who." Stefan smiled in earnest now. He gently took Caroline's hands. "Caroliiiiiiine…" he wheedled in a sing-song voice.

At once, understanding dawned on her and Caroline yanked her hands away, resolutely crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh no, I am _so_ not calling Klaus."

* * *

_**A/N: What do you think will happen now? Who will break the bond? Leave me a review and let me know if you think I'm doing a good job so far and want to read more!**_


	6. Chapter 6

"Elena...got a minute?" Damon flopped on the couch across Elena, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her living room. She looked up from the box of childhood things she'd been poring through and smiled.

"Well, I have forever, actually." She giggled at her own joke and sat next to him. "I was just going through this box of stuff from when I was a kid; I figured something in this box would tug at Bonnie's heartstrings so we can get her back." She regarded Damon carefully. "Hey, how'd you even get in here?"

"Maybe you shouldn't leave your window open," One corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile.

"What's up?" Elena got straight to the point.

"I, uh...we need to have a little chat."

"And what about?" Elena asked cautiously, tucking her legs underneath her.

"I can't...I don't...look, you shouldn't be sired to me. I want to release you."

"What? But Damon, that would mean- "

"That I'd have to tell you to run away from me and never look back. Yeah. I know."

"Then how can you still want to do this?" Elena gently placed her hand on Damon's knee. "I told you before, my love for you is real. If you release me from the sire bond, it would take away _all_ my positive feelings for you."

"Well, _duh_, Elena!" He shrugged off Elena's hand, refusing to look at her. "I _know_ that. But this is for your own good!"

"Is it? Well, I...I guess so..." Elena mused. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "You're right. That really makes sense, now that I think about it."

"Oh, I take it back," Damon said instantly. He sighed heavily. "I didn't mean that," He thrust his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket and sat in silence, with absolutely no pithy commentary. He looked so pathetic that, instinctively, Elena leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Then why'd you say it?"

Damon shook his head. "It's what everyone keeps telling me over and over and over...but you know I could never mean it, Elena." He trailed off, hesitating, then reached out for her.

That was all Elena had to hear. She leaped into Damon's lap, locking her legs on either side of him. She tugged off his shirt and kissed him more eagerly, tasting him with her tongue. Damon's hands were on her hips; he tore himself away from her mouth to kiss her her earlobe. Her neck, her jaw, anything...

"Mmm, lower," Elena moaned. Damon smirked.

"Here?" he asked, kissing her clavicle.

"Nooo," Elena giggled. "Lower." She leaned sideways and shifted her back onto the couch, pulling Damon on top of her.

He tugged down her shirt strap and kissed her bare shoulder. "Here?"

"Lower," Elena challenged.

Damon raised an eyebrow, but paused. "Are you sure? Tell me the truth. Even if I don't like it." he added quickly.

Elena lifted her head and kissed him deeply, wrapping her fingers in his dark hair. Then she finally released him.

"I'm sure. Now, I said _lower_."

For a split second she looked like Katherine as she pushed down on his shoulders and he stopped, hovering above her cleavage. But Damon remembered that Elena Gilbert could never be Katherine Pierce. No one could hurt him like she had. He winked up at Elena. "Whatever you say." He began kissing the tops of her breasts, reveling in the feeling of her beginning to writhe underneath him. "Here?" he asked, slipping his hand inside her cami and playing with the soft weight of one breast until he felt a firm nipple grazing his palm. He was suddenly glad he'd come over before she'd gotten properly dressed.

"Low- lower," Elena said, gasping.

"Hmm, here?" Damon tugged down her top and delightedly took her nipple into his mouth, slowly rolling the other around with his index finger and thumb. Elena began to whimper and grind her pelvis up into his. Damon switched nipples for a few agonizing seconds, then held her gaze as he trailed a hand downwards across her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her pj pants. "Oh, did you mean here?"

Elena nodded frantically and closed her eyes as Damon's moved under under the waistband now.

"Or here?"

Out of nowhere came a loud thud. Elena's eyes flicked open. She was alone in Damon's bed.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Damon sang out.

She was also wet, she realized. _So even in my dreams I can't get what I want. Great, _Elena thought to herself as she watched Damon stride blissfully into the room and plop down on the foot of bed. Elena instantly yanked her hand out of her crotch hoping that amidst the covers he wouldn't see much. Damon opened his mouth then froze, sniffing the air. Then a smile crept its way across his lips.

"My my my. Did I interrupt anything...personal?" Elena felt her face grow hot.

"Shut up." She avoided his eyes as she extricated herself from the covers. "So what if you did? It's perfectly healthy. We're both adults here."

Damon ignored her and gave an exaggerated gasp with widened eyes. "Wait. It couldn't have had anything to do with _moi_, could it?"

Elena slipped out of bed and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the vampire blinking innocently opposite her. "_J'ai oublié_." She folded her arms firmly across her chest.

"So I'm not memorable?"

"Damon!"

"I'm kidding, kidding! Just a little French pop quiz there. I'd say you're ready for the final." He grinned mischievously.

Elena smiled, but deftly changed the subject. "What's going on?"

"Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Ditz are headed to the Big Easy in about an hour," Damon replied easily as he went to the other side of the bed to help her. "They think Klaus might be able to get to the bottom of this little predicament and we all know Caroline's his Achilles Heel."

Elena stopped fluffing a pillow. "They? Aren't we going, too?"

"Well, ah…"

"He is _not_ allowed," Caroline said, appearing in the doorway just then and walking to Elena. "That's the deal," she explained. "Stefan and me only. Klaus would kill you if he saw you, Elena. Out of sheer spite for becoming a vampire and ruining his whole "Operation Create Hybrids." And Damon- well, Damon doesn't exactly play well with others." She embraced Elena and shrugged.

Damon tossed the last pillow at the headboard and clenched his jaw. "Code for: 'Damon is just soooo reckless and impulsive! We simply can't take him anywhere!'"

"Um, okay, more like code for: Stefan doesn't want to see his brother do something stupid and get staked by some Original vampires even though his brother is being a complete d-bag and sleeping in the same bed with his girlfriend and doing only God knows what else- "

"Ex-girlfriend," Elena interrupted quietly. "Stefan and I aren't together anymore, Care."

"Ugh, only because Stefan basically sold his humanity to Klaus to keep both of you safe in the first place!"

"Well, isn't _someone_ doing an awful lot of worrying about Stefan these days?" Damon retorted.

"Well, maybe _someone_ actually appreciates Stefan instead of taking advantage of him- "

"Stefan can speak for himself, guys."

Everyone turned to face Stefan as he entered the room. "Look, Caroline and I are going to New Orleans for a few days. Damon and Elena, you're staying here in Mystic Falls; it's better that way. But not together. With the sire bond, it's just not- "

"Trustworthy?" Caroline finished, seething at Damon.

"Prudent," Stefan corrected smoothly. "Elena, we called Matt and he says you can stay with him for a while since…" Bonnie's absence filled the silence as everyone pretended not to notice.

Stefan cleared his throat and continued somewhat clumsily. "Since he, uh, has the space now because of Tyler putting the Lockwood mansion in his name. We can drop you off over there as soon as you're dressed. Our flight leaves in a few hours."

Under his breath Damon mumbled, "Sir, yes sir, General Stefan." but everyone ignored him.

"You know what? I don't mind not coming along, actually." Elena mused. "It might give me a chance to smooth things over with Bonnie. But I'm staying with Damon," she finished defiantly.

"Not happening." Caroline blurted out.

Stefan closed his eyes for a moment and shoved his hands in his pockets. Then he threw Damon a look that clearly said: "_You see the gigantic mess you've caused?"_ For once, Damon looked almost guilty. A few seconds passed with no one saying anything.

"You know, I think I've had a change of heart," Damon announced suddenly. "I think maybe good King Stef here has a point. Maybe...maybe we should have a little time apart, Elena. Just for a few days."

"You do?" Elena asked anxiously.

"Ah...sure." Damon replied. Caroline furiously bored her eyes into his. "Yes. Yes, I do." he amended. Elena shrugged but visibly relaxed as he continued. "We should stay far far away from each other for awhile. Just avoid me like I have cooties. I'm sure Care knows all about that."

"O-kay." Stefan held a sputtering Caroline in place by the elbow. "Let's let Elena get dressed. Everybody out. We should load up the car, too. Caroline's got so much stuff."

Elena glanced at Damon grimly as the others headed into the hallway. Her normally bright brown eyes now appeared dull and sad.

"I'll see you later, 'kay?" Damon assured her. "Let's play by the rules for once. Might be fun."

Elena flashed him a winning smile and squeezed his hand. "Don't forget about me."

"Never." Damon lifted Elena's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Now get going." He waited until he heard water running, then went to catch up with his brother and demi-permanent houseguest.

"Well, I wasn't sure what to pack, Stefan! This is Klaus we're talking about. You never know what he's up to!"

"Can't account for his taste," Damon interjected. "But knowing you're coming to town, probably seduction."

"Okay, but that's exactly it!" Caroline rounded on him. "I want to look hot, but completely unattainable. Because there's no way I'd ever…"

"Have a son with a Mikaelson?"

"_Shut. Up_."

"Why did you change your mind, Damon?" Stefan interrupted their bickering. "What are you planning?"

"Some light reading. I hear that Hunger Games series is all the rage."

"You can read?" Caroline taunted.

"Seriously- what are you gonna do if you're truly staying away from Elena?" Stefan pressed. "Or were you just saying that to placate us?"

"Not at all, baby bro. I have my own hero agenda: I'm going to be the one to win Bonnie over. And I know exactly how to do it."

...

Bonnie woke up to the smell of bacon. And like any American teenager, she followed it. She grinned as she came upon Matt Donovan in a white tank top, turning over strips of bacon in a pan, earbuds in, and humming along to-

"Taylor Swift? Really, Matt?" Bonnie teased as she opened the refrigerator.

Matt turned around sheepishly. "Hey, I think she can sing!" He removed his earbuds. "Want some real breakfast? I could whip up some pancakes maybe?"

"Ugh, noooo thanks." Bonnie grimaced. "I hate pancakes. They're not bread, they're not pastry- WTF are they?" She poured herself a glass of orange juice and stole a strip of bacon off of Matt's plate as he sat down at the Lockwood's kitchen table.

"Bon, you do realize it's just not normal to hate pancakes, right?" Merriment danced across Matt's pale blue eyes as he tried not to laugh.

"Whatever," Bonnie retorted. "I know gross when I taste it. It will be a cold day in hell when anyone can get me to eat a plate of pancakes."

"Suit yourself. Probably for the best, though. I really do need to get going." He shoveled bacon and eggs into his mouth.

"Um, before you choke yourself and die, I did wanna say thank you for letting me stay here," Bonnie began. Matt paused mid-forkful then gulped down his food.

"Of course, Bonnie." he said gravely. "I know you'd do the same for me." Bonnie smiled earnestly at Matt. He was like an open book. No hidden agenda, no lies, just the facts. "But I still can't believe your dad gave you an ultimatum. That's so harsh."

Bonnie stiffened and ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "I don't know if I can ever speak to him again. Maybe I never will."

"Well, coming from someone who hasn't spoken to either of his parents in years, never say never. It's crazy, but you know your dad loves you; he just wants to keep you out of harm's way."

"Oh! Sorry, Matt. I shouldn't have said that- how thoughtless of me." Bonnie shook her head.

"Aw, don't worry about it. My mom sending a pitiful check every month is way better than her being in and out ever was." Matt smiled again then downed his own glass of orange juice in about four seconds. "Gotta run."

He placed his dishes in the dishwasher then grabbed the uniform t-shirt that was draped over his chair. Bonnie couldn't help but notice his biceps flex as he pulled the shirt over his head, letting it fall over the outline of his chiseled abs. She hadn't ever really thought of Matt as anything but a friend but now…

_Ding-dong!_

The doorbell jolted Bonnie out of her reverie and she quickly looked away from Matt, who apparently had noticed nothing.

"Oh, I bet that's the housekeeping." Matt said, buckling his belt. "Once a week they come and clean this whole place. Tyler says they've been doing it since he was a kid and he didn't see any reason for them to stop. It's what his mother would've wanted." Bonnie and Matt locked eyes as they both tried not to dwell on the fact that Carol Lockwood would never again be around to worry about streak-free windows.

Matt hurriedly continued. "Could you get that, Bon? Just let them in- they already know what to do. I gotta find my shoes…"

"Yeah, okay," Bonnie replied. She looked down at herself and grabbed Matt's varsity jacket to cover the sports bra and pj short combo she had slept in, then drifted to the front door. She stifled a yawn as she turned the handle.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked quizzically. "What are you doing here?" She looked Bonnie up and down. She didn't miss the fact that she was wearing Matt's prized jacket over...nothing? Had she spent the night with him? In every way possible?

"Hello, Elena." Bonnie said coolly. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked you first!" Elena attempted to use their favorite childhood joke. Her face fell when Bonnie did not return the smile, however.

"Since you're the one who needs an invitation to get into the house, I think it's best that _you_ explain what you're doing here. Now-ish." She eyed Elena's duffel bag with suspicion.

"Oh, hey Elena!" Matt appeared, one sneaker in hand and one on his foot. "Come on in. Good thing you got here before I left. Otherwise you couldn't get inside!" He chuckled, then stopped when he realized neither of the young women joined in as Elena crossed the threshold. "Something going on with you two?"

"Not anymore," Bonnie pronounced flatly, still holding the door open, both half-relishing and half-regretting the thought of bodily dragging Elena outside. Elena was swapping glances with Matt who still looked bewildered. She took a deep breath.

"Bonnie, I get that you're upset. I would be if I were you. And I'm sorry- we're all so, _so_ sorry."

"Words, Elena. That's all you ever do: talk. But when it comes down to it, you'll always let me take the hit if it saves your ass. You think you can just apologize to me and that suddenly makes everything okay?"

"I never said that- "

"Um…" Matt cut in. "Look, I don't know what's going on here but Bonnie, Elena's gonna crash for a little while to get away from Damon's influence while Stefan and Care are gone. Now, I've gotta head to The Grill but I hope you both can work this out...whatever "this" is. You're best friends; you've been through way too much to let it tear you apart." He paused to let that sink in. "See you guys later," he said hesitantly, looking between his two friends and stepping nervously between them toward the driveway.

The girls silently watched Matt leave then slowly looked at each other. Elena shifted uneasily and tucked her chestnut hair behind her ears.

"Bon, please. Can't we just talk about everything?"

After a few seconds Bonnie sighed and closed the door.

"You wanna talk? Fine. You can start by explaining to me what's going on."

...

"Attention passengers. We are now beginning our descent into New Orleans, Louisiana, landing in the Louis Armstrong International Airport. It is 94 degrees Fahrenheit, 11:32am central standard time, and whether you're traveling for business or pleasure we hope you enjoy your time in the Crescent City."

Stefan rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up, but couldn't with Caroline's head wedged between his shoulder and chin. "Care," he nudged her gently.

"Mmm?" Caroline didn't seem inclined to open her eyes or otherwise move.

"Care, wake up. We're here."

About fifteen minutes later, Caroline and Stefan were walking out of the airline terminal through baggage claim and into the airport's main area, wheeling their carry-on suitcases behind them. "So Klaus said someone's supposed to meet us with a car, right?"

"Yeah," Caroline replied absently. "He said we'll know which driver is ours. I guess that means he'll have a sign or some- " She stopped mid-sentence. "Oh. My. God. I can't believe he did this. I really can't believe..._freaking Klaus_." She hissed.

"What? What's wrong?" Stefan asked. He scanned the sea of people surrounding them. As jazz music blared over the airport's speakers, passengers were claiming their luggage, loved ones were greeting their long awaited friends and family, businessmen and businesswomen were hurriedly switching on their cell phones now that they were back on the ground. Finally, he noticed a small cluster of smartly dressed drivers all holding up signs with their expectant passengers' names on them. He couldn't see what would rile up Caroline so much, but she was clearly fuming as she sped up to one man and nearly grabbed the sign out of his hands. The man looked startled for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Welcome to New Orleans, Mrs. Mikaelson!" He nodded at Stefan. "Sir. Ma'am. Can I take your bags?"

Stefan swallowed the laughter bubbling up inside him (rather unsuccessfully) as they surrendered their luggage and followed the driver outside into the thick humidity. "Did that sign just say Caroline Mikaelson?"

Caroline whipped her head around and gave him a murderous look. "Don't you _dare_ laugh, Stefan." She balled up the offending sheet of paper and tossed it into a nearby trash can, shuddering. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

_**A/N: Yikes, it took a while for me to update! My muse decided to just up and disappear, plus I've been super busy with moving so when I got inspiration for this story I dropped everything and ran with it. I know not too much happened in the way of plot, but I wanted to shed some light on character relationships for a sec. Thanks everyone who left me reviews! It helps me out SO much! How'd you like this chapter?  
**_


	7. Chapter 7

_Dear Ric,_

_Update: I'm now in charge of operation "Get That Witch Back." Well, I'm in charge of and carrying out said operation since it's more of a one-man kind of thing. Since Elena's still sired the Scooby Gang doesn't trust me around her. Or her around me. Or whatever, either way it's ridiculous, right? Like I'm not trustworthy or something._

_The Wonder Twins have skipped town to New Orleans to see if "King" Klaus can shed any light on the subject. Although knowing Klaus, I'd think he'd be more likely to kill them both if we didn't all know he's half in love with Caroline. I don't know what's worse- if she actually does get with him in the end or if she doesn't._

_So I'm on a mission to bring Bonnie back to reality myself. She called me selfish...she said not breaking the sire bond myself was entirely self-serving. I know I can be a little...cocky at times but selfish is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?_

_Isn't it?_

_..._

"Oh, oooooookay, I get it now," Bonnie said with finality. "You're brainwashed."

"What? No!" Elena irritably raked her fingers through her long hair then drummed her fingertips on the Lockwoods' kitchen table. "Bonnie...it's not like that. I can can make my own decisions. The sire bond only works because I already had feelings for Damon."

"While you were with Stefan." Bonnie narrowed her eyes.

"Well…" Elena looked down at the floor. "We weren't technically together, but- "

"But you think that makes it completely okay to forget about your friends who want more than just getting in your pants?" Bonnie finished. "Is that it?"

"Bon-"

"Elena, who _are_ you anymore?"

"What are you talking about?" Elena shouted. "I'm the same as I always was!"

Bonnie snorted. "Well, maybe that's the problem. Maybe you've never been a good friend to me and I'm just now seeing it."

"That's not true!" Elena cried desperately.

"Oh, really? Who's been there for you when your parents died? When your aunt Jenna died? When Jeremy died- _twice_ (and _killed_ by said guy who only wants to get into your pants, by the way)- I've been there for you, Elena. I've been there for you through it all. And what do I get in return when my world is falling apart? When _my_ parents died?"

"I'm still here for you, Bonnie!" Elena stood up angrily and Bonnie followed suit, her chair toppling over abruptly.

"Bull. Shit." Bonnie slammed her palm down on the table, silently daring Elena to deny it.

For a few second both girls stood fuming at each other, fire blazing in their eyes.

"Elena," Bonnie gritted her teeth, leaning over the table now. "I have literally- _literally_\- died to save you when you were in danger. I've colluded with my enemies- I've smiled in the face of the man who killed my mother, took away her powers, and turned her into the creature that she hates most on this earth. But this isn't about Damon. Not about Klaus, or Katherine or Mikael, or any other random villain in our lives- it's about the fact that someone I call my "friend" has hurt me just as much as they all have. When have you ever stuck your neck out for me? When have you sacrificed yourself for me? When have you _ever_ done _any_thing like that for me?"

"I…" Elena trailed off. "Bonnie, I just…" She faltered then, and Bonnie saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes as she came towards the opposite end of the table. "Bonnie...I'm sorry." She reached for Bonnie's hand. Bonnie didn't pull away, but kept her hand limp in the other girl's grasp.

"Elena…"

"I'm so sorry, Bon. I'll make it up to you. Please."

Bonnie stared. Then she started to giggle. Then giggling turned into laughing, then into full-on cackling. Elena let go of her hand anxiously.

"Um...did I say something?"

"Elena," Bonnie gasped between chuckles. "What on earth could you do that would possibly make up for any of this? You're literally sleeping with the enemy here."

Elena scoffed. "Okay, Damon and I are _not_\- "

"I meant Stefan," Bonnie said simply. "This all started with Stefan."

"But Stefan is...Stefan's- he's...he's nothing like Damon." Elena stuttered. She stopped then, the obvious implication of her words draping a blanket of silence over both young women.

After a moment Bonnie shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Stefan's just the better half of a shitty coin. He still brings destruction in his wake. My grams was right- no good can come from getting involved in vampire business. Too many people die or get caught in the crossfire. And I'm tired of being collateral damage."

"You're not." Elena grabbed Bonnie in a tight hug, and after a moment's hesitation, the tiny Bennett witch hugged her back.

"I promise things will be different from now on, Bon," Elena whispered.

"Until things actually _do_ change, though...I can't believe that, Elena." Bonnie pulled away then. "I hope you can understand that." With that she stepped away, absently waving a hand at her overturned chair while muttering a quick "_Motus._" under her breath. The chair instantly picked itself up and neatly tucked itself under the table.

Elena's face crumpled as she watched Bonnie walk away from her.

"And if you can't..." Bonnie turned and looked Elena dead in the eye. "Stay out of my way."

...

Caroline eagerly peered out of her window at the passing scenery as the town car rolled down St. Charles Avenue. Stefan looked down at his hands. He'd been to New Orleans many times before; he wasn't surprised that Klaus lived in the Garden District (or at least had a house there- who knew where Klaus _truly _lived?), he didn't need to see the kids playing in sprawling Audubon Park, the sight of neighboring universities Loyola and Tulane didn't fill him with excitement, and he was no longer entranced by the incessant _ding-ding_ of streetcar bells. For Stefan, this trip was business. Nothing more. He needed to make Klaus talk, make sure Caroline didn't talk (everyone knew Klaus' moods, even with her, were so changeable), discover how to un-sire Elena, and not get killed in the process.

Should be no problem, he thought grimly.

"OhmyGodStefancanyoubelieveit?" Caroline's voice jolted him out of his mental checklist. He blinked.

"What?"

"Can you believe it? Can you believe we're actually here?" Caroline was practically bouncing in her seat. "This is just like in The Princess and the Frog! Did I tell you I've seen that movie twenty times? It's sooooo cute!" Stefan smiled in spite of his dour mood. At least until Caroline clutched his arm in a vice-grip.

"Ca- "

"WAIT." She announced suddenly, her blue eyes wide. "Can we go get beignets? In the movie, Princess Tiana makes beignets! They're supposed to be really yummy, right? We can't come to New Orleans and not eat beignets, Stefan!"

"Care- ow- yeah, ah, okay. Sure, we can get some beignets. Could you maybe let go of me first, though?"

"Oh, sorry!"

Caroline released him with a nervous laugh. "I didn't mean to, like, assault you or anything. This is just the first time I've ever been outside of Mystic Falls…" she trailed off softly.

For the first time since leaving Virginia, Stefan stopped thinking and actually listened to Caroline. He covered her hand with his own. "Let's talk to Klaus first, okay? Then afterwards, I'll be your tour guide extraordinaire. Promise."

She smiled then her eyes widened again at something behind him. Stefan turned just in time to see them turning into a driveway of a large cream-colored Colonial style mansion he'd seen many times before on his other visits to New Orleans. It was a house he'd always thought reminded him of-

"A giant wedding cake!" Caroline huffed. "Of _course_ his house looks like one giant wedding cake." She snatched her hand away from Stefan and folded her arms across her chest angrily. "What, is this whole trip gonna be one humongous proposal?"

"I wouldn't tempt him, Care…" Stefan responded cautiously as the driver parked and they came to a halt.

The driver opened Caroline's door first and after thanking him, she quickly sped to her companion's side, joining Stefan in staring up the staircase at the gargantuan residence before them.

"So I see you approve of the house. Excellent." Klaus appeared at the top of the stairs, a boyish grin on his lips.

"Hmph," Caroline taunted. "So you have taste. Who knew?" Stefan shot her a look, but said nothing. Instead he spoke to Klaus.

"And to what do we owe this hospitality?" he asked, noting that their luggage had already been whisked away as Klaus made his way down.

"Not a thing, Stefan. Not a thing. It's more than enough thanks that I merely get to see your lovely faces. My oldest friend- "

"We were never friends, Klaus. I was a deluded killer." Klaus ignored him.

"And the object of my affection." Klaus was in front of them now, his lanky frame towering over them both, although he wisely made no move to touch either of his guests.

"Oh, so you're calling me an object, now?" Caroline planted her hands on her hips. "That's great, Klaus. Just great. You really know how to win a lady over."

Klaus smiled again. "You can be called whatever you like, love. So long as you're mine."

"Oh...my...God," Caroline muttered.

"Okay, okay," Stefan cut in. "Can we just get down to business?"

"All work and no play, Stefan? Tsk tsk. All in good time. First, I hoped to give you a tour of the house." He spoke to Stefan but directed his gaze to Caroline. "You _would_ like to see it, wouldn't you?"

"I…uh, well...I..." Caroline shrugged helplessly. "Well, it is a _gorgeous_ house, Stefan."

Stefan threw her a look that clearly said: "Are you kidding me?"

"Splendid! It's settled, then." Klaus turned back towards the house. "Ladies first." He held out his hand to Caroline, who pointedly strode right past it. Klaus' mouth turned downwards in a deep frown.

Stefan sighed. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down as he rocked on the balls of his feet. This was going to be a long and bumpy ride.

* * *

**_A/N: Happy New Year! Hope everyone liked this new chapter- I tried to cram in a lot, hope it wasn't an overload. I love when you guys leave me reviews and let me know what you think!_**


	8. Chapter 8

"...Seven...eight...niiiiiiiine...come on, Matt, you can do this," Bonnie looked on with keen interest as Matt finished out his final set. "Ten!" she jumped up and mimed waving a set of pom poms.

Matt laughed despite the sweat dripping into his eyes. "Thanks, Cheerleader Barbie. When you said you wanted to help me work out, I didn't think you'd actually stay the whole time." He chuckled, but Bonnie just shrugged. She'd come into the basement gym intending to just do some cardio on the elliptical to clear her head, but ended up staying and motivating Matt through his entire weight-lifting session. The Lockwood mansion was huge and beautiful, but she could see how Tyler had had such a hard time growing up- it was also very lonely. _Even more so when you're avoiding Elena_, said a little voice inside her head. She made a mental note to kindly tell that voice to shut the hell up and turned to help Matt wipe down all the machines they had used. As far as she knew, Elena had taken Bonnie at her word and stayed away. She was usually at her parents' house except at night. Or something. Bonnie wasn't exactly sure, and didn't exactly care. She'd been spending a lot of her time of her own at The Grill or at the library.

Bonnie realized that the reason she'd clung so fiercely to the group even though they didn't do the same for her was simply because she had no one else. Her Grams was gone, she effectively had no parents to talk to, no siblings, and no other family who would understand. But how could that be? Given that the Bennett witches were such a powerful coven, as she'd been hearing time and time again, how could it be that she was all alone in the world? Where was her family? So she'd been at the library trying to trace her ancestry, trying to find out who she was, where she'd come from, and most importantly- who else was out there.

"Hey, Matt? Where's the- ?" Elena stopped one stair short of entering the basement when she saw Bonnie.

"Uhhhh, never mind.." Elena looked at the floor.

"No, it's fine," Bonnie said coolly. "I was going to go take a shower, anyway." She strode past Elena without a second glance and headed upstairs.

"Bonnie…" Elena attempted, but the other girl didn't turn back. Elena ran a hand through her hair with a sigh and turned to Matt, who looked at her expectantly.

"What am I supposed to do, Matt? She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," Matt refuted, dabbing his forehead with a towel. "She doesn't _trust_ you. There's a difference."

"Okay, and what's that?"

"Trust can be rebuilt," he said simply. "She thinks you're not there for her, that she doesn't matter to you. So...prove her wrong. Show her that's not true."

...

"So," Klaus was saying (to Caroline mostly, thought Stefan) "Did I do well?"

"I mean, this house _is_ amazing," Caroline admitted in awe, looking around her at the formal dining room. True to his word, Klaus had shown them his new home with gusto and pride, and displayed a remarkable knowledge about the property and its history that could only be described as...tender. _Guess beauty can be added to the short list of things Klaus cares about_, Stefan mused. The problem was that they had seen so _much_ of it; they had spent all of their first day on idle chit-chat, and it appeared that was how they were about to spend the second. Stefan also didn't miss the fact that while Caroline was looking at the original 19th century sconces, Klaus was only looking at her. Although Stefan knew that would only head nowhere fast, he also knew Caroline was the only person Klaus would take it seriously from. He stood up from the table and cleared his throat. Loudly.

"Problem, Stefan?" Klaus asked, without a trace of concern. He remained seated and sipped his mimosa lazily.

"Um, yeah. We didn't exactly come here to chat about antebellum architecture, so if we could just…"

"Yes!" Caroline snapped out of her spell and shot up, too. "You know why we're here, Klaus. We need to find out what you know about sire bonds."

"Ah, yes. Your precious Elena is no longer yours." Klaus smirked at Stefan.

Stefan glared but wisely said nothing.

"Tell me," Klaus continued breezily. "Where is Elena now?"

"Away from Damon, is all you need to know," Caroline informed him. "He told her to stay away."

"Well then, she will do as he says. And unless that worries anyone for some reason…" he threw Stefan another look then went on. "...she will be perfectly safe provided Damon doesn't go back on his word. Which gives _us _plenty of time to tour the fountain garden outside. A true delight in this heat, believe me."

"We don't have time for you to play realtor, Klaus," Caroline said exasperatedly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, now that is a shame," Klaus said with mock disappointment. "Because after that I was going to show you Rebecca's collection of recreated antique gowns. Each one is a perfect replica of its historical cousin, for an authentic experience."

"Experience?" Caroline asked, her interest piqued.

"Of course, love. I assumed you might like to try a few on?"

Caroline was wearing the constipated expression of someone who's just been offered ten million dollars- but in exchange for her soul.

"I- we, um...no…?" she finished weakly.

"Well, that's too bad," Klaus smiled. "Because Rebecca just so happens to be gone for the day. She would never even know."

Caroline's eyes went wide for the second time that day. She silently spun around to Stefan.

"Absolutely not," he almost cried out.

Klaus ignored Stefan entirely. "Caroline, what say you?"

"I...I mean, well- that is…" Caroline stuttered. "Oh, Stefan, couldn't we just peek? Elena will be fine, Damon promised!"

"Yeah, because_ that's_ gone well in the past..."

"You know, Stefan, you don't actually need to accompany us," Klaus pointed out. "I very much doubt you would be interested. It would all just be art and intellectualism, that sort of thing. It would probably go right over that big hair of yours."

Stefan threw Klaus a look that clearly indicated that had they both been human he'd love to punch Klaus in the nose just once - _really_ hard- just to get the point across.

"Count me in."

...

Damon copied down the address from the glaring computer screen and slipped the paper in his pocket. Bonnie was going to be so pleased, forgive him, and go back to being Little Miss Judgeypants in no time. He smiled and cracked his knuckles with satisfaction. Then he paused, realizing he hadn't considered the alternative. But of course she would, he reasoned. It was _Bonnie_. And with that thought in mind, he grabbed his favorite leather jacket (not the black one, but the _other_ black one) and sped out to his car. No time like the present.

* * *

_**(A/N: Thanks for patiently awaiting this chapter! I love reading your reviews!)**_


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